1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to headwear and, more particularly, to a headwear piece having a crown with a brim/visor projecting at least forwardly from the crown.
2. Background Art
One of the most popular pieces of headwear is the baseball-style cap. This cap has a crown portion which embraces the wearer""s head and brim/visor projecting in a forward direction therefrom.
The headwear industry is constantly seeking out alternative ways to make the baseball-style cap appealing to the purchasing public, while at the same time facilitating high volume manufacture. A number of these efforts have focused on the brim/visor.
In one form, the invention is directed to a headwear piece having a crown and a brim/visor projecting away from the crown. The crown has a wall with a surface for engaging a wearer""s head to maintain the headwear piece in an operative position on a wearer""s head. The brim/visor has an exposed upwardly facing surface, an exposed downwardly facing surface, and an exposed edge between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces. The edge has a thickness between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces. The edge has a first layer that extends over at least one-fourth of the thickness of the edge, less than the full thickness of the edge, and continuously from the edge to define a part of one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces.
The edge has a length. In one form, the first layer extends over substantially the entire length of the edge.
In one form, the edge has a second layer and the first layer and second layer have a different appearance so as to contrast with each other.
This contrast may be the result of the first and second layers having a different texture, pattern, color, etc.
In one form, the part of the one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces has a width of at least xe2x85x9 inch. This width may be at least xc2xc inch, at least xc2xd inch, or at least xc2xe inches.
In one form, the part of the one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces has a substantially uniform width over substantially the entire length of the edge.
The wall surface may extend continuously through 360xc2x0 around the head of a wearer or may be interrupted so as not to extend continuously around the head of a wearer with the headwear piece in the operative position on a wearer""s head.
In one form, the crown has a front and rear and the brim/visor projects from the front of the crown but not from the rear of the crown.
The brim/visor may project from the crown through 360xc2x0 continuously around the crown.
The crown may have an opening through which a wearer""s head is exposed with the headwear piece in an operative position on a wearer""s head.
In one form, the edge is defined by only the first layer and second layer over at least a part of the length of the edge.
In one form, the brim/visor has an insert between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces to maintain a desired shape of the brim/visor.
In one form, the brim/visor is stitched through the first layer and fully through the brim/visor between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces.
In one form the first layer extends over at least one third the thickness of the edge. The first layer may extend through at least half the thickness of the edge.
The invention is also directed to a headwear piece having a crown and brim/visor. The crown has a wall with a surface for engaging a wearer""s head to maintain the headwear piece in an operative position on a wearer""s head. The brim/visor projects away from the crown. The brim/visor has an exposed upwardly facing surface, an exposed downwardly facing surface, and an exposed edge between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces. The edge has a thickness between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces. The edge has a first layer that extends over at least xc2xc of the thickness of the edge, less than the full thickness of the edge, and continuously from the edge to define a part of the upwardly facing surface.